Weight of It All
by Melodic Frequency
Summary: AU Summary is on the first chapter. Warning: Femslash. Breyton and other pairings.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This takes after about fours years from the third season's finale, but a definite A/U take on it. Obviously, things have happened and as the story goes on you'll figure them out. There is going to some femslash…Breyton. 

Summary: After graduating her senior year, Peyton left Tree Hill as she had become an outcast to the people she loved. Now living in Savannah, she goes back to her hometown to visit a long-waited meeting with her father… but there are a few other familiar faces that she's bound to run into.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that belong to OTH and the WB. The Title of this fic and the song in this fic is by Matt Nathanson's 'Weight of it all'.

Vocab - rhythm lick: a sequence of chords and notes that are used to build the rhythm section of music.

Chapter One

The gentle strumming of the acoustic guitar varied in chords as the young woman played a rough version of a song she had listened to so many times in the last few years. As minutes passed, her fingerings slowly became coordinated to fit the melody perfectly. Finishing the last chorus, she stopped.

"You're getting better," encouraged Jake. He stood from his seat on the couch and sat down on the floor across her. "Let me tune that a bit?" he questioned, a hand held out.

She passed him the instrument. Leaning back on elbows, she hung her head back, her long curly blonde hair grazing the plush carpet of her living room. "My dad called last night," she mumbled.

"Yeah?" Jake tightened a few strings.

"Yeah, he wants to see me before he goes out on another job."

The dark haired man nodded, tuning the last string. He set aside the guitar and looked at the figure in front of him. "Are you going to?"

A shrug was all he got.

"Peyton," he voiced.

The blonde sat up straight and met the eyes of her ex-lover and now, close friend. "What?"

Jake ran a hand against his neck, sighing. He swallowed some moisture in his mouth, "You need to see him. It's been almost three years since you've seen him, face to face, in Tree Hill."

"Why's it have to be in Tree Hill?" she grabbed her acoustic, setting it on her lap. "There are way too many people that I'm trying to avoid who're living there."

"One of them being your dad. He's innocent in all this and you're making him suffer by not letting him see you as often as he would like to."

A heavy breath flew through her parted lips, "I know."

"You need to see him… and maybe someone else?"

Peyton glared, knowing where he was going. "I'll go visit my dad, but that's it. No Lucas, Haley, or whoever else."

Jake rolled his eyes and glanced at his watch. He got to his feet, "I have to go pick up Jenny from school. When are you leaving for Tree Hill?"

"The day after tomorrow, I guess." The blonde began to play the lick of the song. "Tell Jenny that I said, 'hi'."

"Will do."

She watched him walk out the door and chuckled at the good nature of her friend. Messing up the rhythm, Peyton started over. This time, she began to sing.

_I'm weak when you miss me _

_when you roll me on your tongue…_

_when you whisper me your best moves _

_I almost believe you _

_but you don't know me at all_

A few faces flickered through her mind. The ones she had thought that could teach her how to really love.

_I'm covered by lovers,_

_who recite their lines _

_convinced that their bodies are gonna save mine _

_but you don't know me at all…_

They always thought that they were the one. The one to change her life, to be her life.

She played the chorus, the beat faster and louder.

_Show me where the sun comes through the sky _

_I'll show you where the rain gets in _

_and I'll show you hurricanes _

_and the way that summer fades..._

_underneath the weight of it all_

Her fingers began to linger on the notes as she went back to finish the lick.

_I spent days stupid nailed to your floor _

_and I spent nights pushed against you _

_trying to keep warm _

_but you don't know me at all…_

Positioning into a wrong fret, she screwed up. Peyton bit her lip and harshly got up, throwing the guitar onto the couch, the last chorus unsung.

_Show me where the sun comes through the sky_

_I'll show you where the rain gets in _

_and I'll show you hurricanes _

_and the way that summer fades _

_underneath the weight of it all._

-------------

This is just the intro and the major players of the story will come up in a few chaps. Should I continue?


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, I appreciate it a lot.

Disclaimer: One Tree Hill belongs to the WB and whatnot. The song 'Livin' on a Prayer' is by Bon Jovi.

Chapter Two

A hiss of steam sounded from the hot plate of her coffee maker as she settled the half empty pot back onto it. Freshly filled mug of coffee in hand, the blonde walked out of her kitchen and into the living room. She picked up her keys from a table next to the door and rushed out of the house with a quick mouthful of caffeine from her cup.

In the middle of locking up, she muttered a curse. Peyton unlocked the door, went back inside and looked around the room. Finding what she was searching for, she grabbed her knapsack and started to head out again, but halted. The woman downed all of her coffee and held in a cry of pain as the liquid burned inside of her. She bit her upper lip and put down the cup on the side table, finally leaving the house.

"Aunt Peyton!" an excited screech, followed by a little dark haired munchkin jumping into her arms, surprised her.

She smiled briefly, "Hey, Jenny."

"You okay?" the girl questioned, her eyes showing naïve concern.

"Yeah, baby girl. Just a little… nervous."

Jenny nodded and stood back onto the ground. The girl pulled out an Ipod from her pocket and gave it to the older woman. "Daddy said to give it to you. He added new songs in there for you to listen to on your trip."

"Tell your dad that I said thanks," the blonde stated. She shouldered her knapsack and hugged the girl she had come to love as one of her family. "I'll see you in a few days, okay?"

"Yeah and be careful Aunt Pey."

Peyton smiled softly in reassurance, "I will." Letting go of Jenny, she stepped off the porch and got into her car. She threw the knapsack into the backseat of her '67 Camaro and keyed the ignition.  
-  
_Once upon a time _

_Not so long ago _

_Tommy used to work on the docks _

_Union's been on strike _

_He's down on his luck...it's tough, so tough_

The soft eighties metal beat filtered through her speakers after she had connected the mp3 player Jake had bought her for a birthday a year before, to the car stereo. Peyton lightly smirked at the song and put on a pair of her aviators.

_Gina works the diner all day _

_Working for her man, she brings home her pay _

_For love - for love_

The memory of a drunken night at a karaoke bar a few days after her 21st birthday, went through her mind. Too much alcohol combined with an odd mix of cheer spirit had caused her to be one of those slurring idiots on stage singing 'Living on a Prayer'.The night ended with her throwing up on Jake and passing out. _That was fun._ Peyton chuckled at the thought.

_She says: We've got to hold on to what we've got _

_'Cause it doesn't make a difference _

_If we make it or not _

_We've got each other and that's a lot _

_For love - we'll give it a shot_

She'd been driving for about a few hours out of town, it took a lot of her will to not turn around and drive back to Savannah. Her dad was expecting her and she hated to disappoint him for not wanting to see him. That wasn't really true, she did want to see him. She just didn't want to see other people whom she was sure would confront her about her leaving without word, straight out of school.

_We're half way there _

_Livin' on a prayer _

_Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear _

_Livin' on a prayer_

Flipping on her left blinker, she exited onto a highway. The sign reading: Tree Hill, 90 miles.

_Tommy got his six string in hock Now he's holding in what he used To make it talk - so tough, it's tough_

The blonde rolled down her window as the late morning started to heat up. She needed to get her air conditioner fixed.

A loud buzz caught her attention, her cell phone vibrating on the dashboard.

_Gina dreams of running away _

_When she cries in the night _

_Tommy whispers: Baby it's okay, someday _

_We've got to hold on to what we've got _

_Cause it doesn't make a difference _

_If we make it or not _

_We've got each other and that's a lot _

_For love - we'll give it a shot_

She answered it, "Hello?"

_"Hey, honey. Just checking up on you."_

Peyton's eyes softened at her father's words, "I'm a few hours or so away."

_"Good. I can't wait to see you. It's been too long."_

"Yeah, I know dad."

_"Well, I'll be waiting for you. See you in a few."_

"Bye," the woman replied. She placed the phone on the seat next to her. Turning up the volume, she leaned against the head rest and sighed.

_We're half way there _

_Livin' on a prayer _

_Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear _

_Livin' on a prayer _

_We've got to hold on ready or not _

_You live for the fight when it's all that you've got _

_We're half way there _

_Livin' on a prayer_

_Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear _

_Livin' on a prayer_

TBC…  
-  
Hope you liked it. I'll have another chapter up in a day or two.


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